There are SO MANY different social media sites these days – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Google+, LinkedIn…the list goes on and on. As Reps, I’m sure you’re maximizing your social media presence - befriending your teammates and other Reps - and probably telling the world about the best place on the PlanNet! But did you know there are “ok” ways to use social media and there are AMAZING ways to use it? When it comes to your business presence online you don’t want to fall short. Here are a few tips and hints to keep your online presence front and center to your audience, and help you grow your business.

1) Be Yourself, but Remember Your Audience. This is your social media account, and people want to know you as a person, but remember you’re trying to promote your business, too. What do I mean? If you’re selling weight loss products, you probably don’t want to post pictures of yourself devouring a huge slice of cake! It sounds funny, but it happens. If you’re trying to represent yourself as a business professional, don’t send game requests to your prospects (they don’t want to join you in playing Candy Crush and Farmville). Do share posts about your family and friends, or fun, interesting things happening in your life. Don’t get rude, inappropriate or pushy with your opinions. Not everyone will share those opinions, and that’s ok, but you don’t want to alienate others with strong posts (too many of those posts and they’ll remove you from their feed).

2) Treat People Like People. Don’t do or say things online that you wouldn’t do or say offline. Just like you wouldn’t walk into a party and start selling immediately, you also wouldn’t do that on social media. You wouldn’t go to a friend’s party, stand in the corner not talking to anyone, then quickly approach a large group of people you don’t know and interrupt to ask, “Who wants to be a Travel Agent?” Would you?! NO, because everyone would think you’re nuts. You have to get to know the people online in the same way you do when interacting face-to-face. Message people, like and comment on their posts, share about yourself, share something funny, engage others and make them feel valued. If they feel valued, they’re more likely to respond to all of your posts – including those about your business.

3) Don’t Sell on Social Media. Okay, first of all, it’s against company policy (for real). But it’s also not good for your business. Here’s why. When you’re constantly posting links to your company, you kill curiosity and people become less excited to meet you/speak privately and learn about your business because they can Google and learn everything on their own. Instead, use your social media to create curiosity about your business and then when a prospect shows interest, you can set aside a time to speak individually or meet to tell them more and sell to them.

4) Budget Your Online Time. This tip takes a bit of finesse, but essentially you need balance in the amount of time you’re on social media. If you’re not online enough and don’t respond to prospects in an appropriate amount of time, you could lose their interest and a sale. On the flip side of the coin, if you’re online too much, you could be wasting valuable time you could be using to do other business-related things (like conference calls, three-way calls, in-person meetings, etc). Plus, being too available/responding to every single request immediately prevents you from creating a sense of urgency in your prospect. If you or I called the President of the United States, he wouldn’t call back within seconds, or even minutes – he has important things to do. I’m not saying don’t be available, but do be careful not to jump on every message within seconds of receiving it. You’ll drive yourself crazy trying to respond to everyone and you’ll set a precedent that you won’t be able to sustain long-term. It’s okay to finish the email you’re currently typing before you respond to a message or call someone back. Don’t stop focusing on the meeting you’re in because someone asked you a question you can answer in an hour when you’re free. Find a balance that works for you.

If you want to be a success in your business - help others be successful too! Share this information with your team and they will surely appreciate it!